Much like Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln isn’t a biopic and instead focuses on one particular chapter of the 16th President’s life, the same can be said for Sacha Gervasi’s Hitchcock and its depiction of the greatest film director of all time as he made 1960’s Psycho.
Considered by many to be Hitch’s masterpiece (it’s certainly in top five of an incredible filmography), it’s truly surprising now to witness the skepticism of studio heads as Mr. Hitchcock embarks on filming his now-classic. The director must put up his own money and mortgage his home to complete the project. This is right after he’s directed one of his biggest financial and critical triumphs, 1959’s North by Northwest.
Psycho is considered to be too bloody, too garish, and too tasteless for mass consumption. Hitchcock battles the studio and the censors to get it completed. He also battles his personal demons, which is what the film mostly focuses on. For film lovers who have studied the director’s career, it’s no secret that Hitch was a rather insecure man who was prone to rather unhealthy fixations on his leading ladies.
Hitchcock incorporates those elements of his personality, including his issues with his wife Alma, whom he suspects is having an affair with a writer. The Hitchcocks are played by Oscar winning actors Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren. Much like his portrayal of Richard Nixon in Oliver Stone’s 1995 picture, Hopkins concentrates more on embodying the personality of his subject than do a direct impersonation. He’s such a great actor that he pulls it off. Mirren is fantastic as Alma, who contributed more to her husband’s success than most know.
The actual filming of Psycho is not a major focal point. Scarlett Johannson plays Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel is Vera Miles, and James D’Arcy is Anthony Perkins. As a movie buff, I would have preferred to see more of Mr. Hitchcock’s mastery of his technique as he made this quintessential film.
Additionally, a common thread throughout the picture is Hitchcock communicating in fantasy sequences with Ed Gein (Michael Wincott), the real-life killer who inspired the character of Norman Bates. These scenes are meant to serve as an insight into Hitch’s mind, but never really connect as they should.
Still, the performances are first-rate and there’s enough Hollywood history and intrigue to make Hitchcock a worthwhile experience. When Psycho does finally premiere after a lot of heartache on the director’s part, we see Hitchcock watching the audience as they watch the film for the first time. As the shower scene plays (one of the most famous scenes in film history) and the audience freaks out, Hitchcock experiences a kind of unbridled joy that we haven’t seen him experience for the whole picture (he’s a rather sour fellow). That scene in Hitchcock is marvelous, showing the Master of Suspense revel in what he does best. It’s a scene that reminded me of why I consider him to greatest director to ever live. For that alone, Hitchcock was worth the time.
*** (out of four)
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